Perforator



Jan. 5, 1937. y Y E. E. I ORING ET A1. 2,066,409

PERFORATOR v Filed June 22, 1935 v 5 Sheets-Sheet l 7g l K- o f i L 3' Y; VT

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Jam 5, 1937- l E. E, I oRlNG ET AL 2,066,409

PERFORATOR Filed June 22, 1935 3 sheets-sheetY s Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? PERFORATOR Houston, Tex.

Edgar E. Loring and Joseph Passatuma, l l I Applicationv June 22, 19375, Serial No.v 27,832

` 3 Claims. (Cl. 77-7) lowered into a weiland equipped with a plurality of radial drills withmeans for rotating the drills and simultaneously moving them outwardly whereby perforations will bedrilled through the y surrounding pipe, or casing, in the well.

A further feature resides in a reversing mechanism incorporated into the apparatus whereby is upon completion of the perforating operation, the movement of thedrills will be reversed and .they will be withdrawn inwardly clear of the pipe. Y

A still further object is to provide a pipe perforator of the character so constructed that it may be bodily moved by means of the operating string into different positions in the pipe whilethe i operating mechanism thereof remains inactive.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation, and arrange- Fig. 2 shows an enlarged vvertical sectional view of the lower unit `of the operative mechanism.

Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectional View of an intermediate section thereof. i

Fig. 4.shows a vertical sectional view of the upper end section thereof. Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view the line 5-5 of Figa. M y

Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view Vtakencn the line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 18l shows a cross-sectional view taken von 45 the line 8--8 of Fig. 4. j

Fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 10 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line IIl--ID of Fig. 2. 50 Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numerals I designate adjacent sections of the shell which are tubular inform and whichvmay be connected 55 by couplings. as-'2. Anynumber of sections may be employed, depending on the numberl composing thecomp'letestructure. v

Beneath, and connected to the lower section of the shell, there is a similar tubular section 3 connected to said lower section by a similar cou-` pling 2. Said lower section carries the outwardly curved, flexible wiper springs 4 which frictionally engage the inside of *the pipe 5'tobe perforated, and which prevent thel shell vI from turning. Y y `A conventional releasing spearmaybe carried by th'e lo'werend of the complete apparatus,- if.

desired, for a purpose'to be hereinafter stated.v

This type of releasing spear is of conventional4 construction and well `known to those familiar with the art of pulling stuck pipe from wells.

' Attached to the upper end of the shell I, by

means of a suitable coupling, as 2, there is the transmission housing 6 whoseupper end has the cap 'I screwed thereto.' Within the upperjend of the transmission housing I5,v there is the internal gear 8 which is of an inverted cup-shape, and a tubular shaft 9 extends upwardly from said gear'through a centrai bearing in the capf'I. Annular thrust plates ID are housed within thecapv 'I around the shaft V9, and between said' plates are thelanti-,friction bearings II. An annularrib I2 on the shaft 9 is vsupported on the upper thrustplate ID whereby the gear 81s rotatably supported` in the transmission housing. v

The shaft 9 is surrounded by a suitable stuiiing box vI?. which is rconnected/to the'upper.` end of the cap I and shaft has a limited `v verticall movement relativetofthe'cap 1, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The shaft 9 hasl'an Aoutlet port I4 .and 'tted upwardly into the shaft v9 there is a rod I5 whose I" upper end is normally beneaththe portl Il and whose lower end carries the disk I6 which is fixed thereon and which is located within the gear 8. Asuitable stuiiing bo'x I'I is carried bythe gear 8 and surrounds the `rod I5l to form afluid tight joint therewith.

Secured within the housing 1, beneath the gear 8, there is a supporting bar I8 having the vertical bearing I9r in which the shaft` 20 rotates. Fixed to the upper end of the'shaft 20 there is 'a spur gear 2I'whose lower endy rides on the'bar I8,-and

,loosely-mounted on said shaft 20 underneath said y with respect tothe disk`1, and whose lowerend is threaded through a star wheel 24"located on the "supporting bar I8.

wheel' 24 is reduced and seated in the bearing 25 ktened on the kThe lower end of the star in the upper end of the stub shaft 28. This shaft extends up through al suitable bearing inthe supporting bar `I8 and the spur gear 21 is located beneath said bar and is in mesh with the spur gear 22, and may be formed integrally with the shaft 25.

. Dependingfromthe margin of the gear 8 there is a pin 29 arranged to-intermittently engageand impart intermittent, partial rotations to, the star wheel 24 as the gear 8 rotates. l

The lower end of the. gear 22 is formed with a clutch .member 30 adapted to-.engage'a similar clutch member '3l splinedon the shaft 20. Fasshaft 20 there is asleeve 32 and around this sleeve there is a collar l$3, said collar and sleeve being vsecured in yplace by va suitable setscrew 34. Splined on" the .shaft.20` beneath the sleeve 32 thereis a'clutch member. adaptedto bel engaged with. andrrelease'd from the clutchfmember 31- which. is vformation the upper end of the spur gearf 3.8. `The clutches,

internally, the pitch of theinternai,ilhreadscor-v Vber 59 which is securedl to .the housing B. u

and. are .formed with corresponding, external lgrooves, 40, respectively.,` andlthe upper vand lower coil Springsll; 42, are interposedbetween the collar 33 andthe upper and .lower clutch'v x members 21, 36. The gearais mountedto rotate on the shaft 20. and the lowerv end of said shaft is `mounted tov-rotate in a vertical bearing 43-of the transverse bearing member 44 which is s ee cured in the transmissionl housing.

The spur gear 21 is suitably' attachetilV to the f upper end of the =shaft45-andthe` lower endfof ythe shai't` extends through a verticalbearing I6 in the bearing member 44.y Fastened tothe lower end of the shaft-.45 andfriding. on` the bearing p Vmember 44 there is a spur gear 48. The shaft 45 has the coarselthreads thereonLfAsshown,

- these are righthand'threads. n

on the-shaft 45 isV .the upper sudeble sleeve tlf and the lowerinut 52jwhichis coarselythre'aded responding to the pitch kof the threads 50. j .The lower endl of the sleeve turned annular ange y wardly extended andl telescoped'overhthe lower end of the sleeve 5I andlhas ythefinte'rnal,anmilar flange 54 engageablewiththeflangeil. The lower. end `of the nutV 52 also extendeddowne.

housingwfor "the threads 50.\f

war'dly uforming a i v Upper and lower clamps 55-and 56 are clamped tightly about ythe sleeve-15|,and the nut.52 rel spectively. andi the clamp holds saidfnut 52 "against turning andthemse clampsareformed into yokes which iitinto `the respectivegrooves 39 andV 40,1as illustratedin'the Figs. 3 andi).

,There :se .thrustl plate s1 mounted on` the 'short A 45 which` rides on the..gear 48and mounted von this thrust plate andfsurrounding the shaft 45 1 there is a coil'sprlng 135. whoseupper .bears against 1- the lower-end ofV the extension offthe nut 52..

The gears 38.48. are vin rxiesh with vareversing gear 5L as shownin Fig. 6.y and thisreversing gear is rotatablysupported on thebearing inem'-y l There is a transmission shaft whose upperA end has a universal connection with Vthelower end of the shaft.45 and whose lowerv end has a `universal connection with'the upper end of the shaft 6I.. The shaftv 6| rotates in acentral, .vertical bearing in the transverse bar 82 which is semrfetlV 2.066,40!) *n Y a g and attached-to the lower endo! said shaft Il.

' 4socket tojreceive thev shaft.

- outer endof theshaft y12jthereisili-stair wheel 14.1 .I

The beveled gearMIhasSanSrni" thereomvandA j as said gear wheel rotateajth'e. imparts. l partial rotation the out. 1l against tnelnher end. offthelurlnjn forcing the fdrilloutwardly against the ypipeto'iie i similar beveled gear wheel .1I "which isfflxed Slfhasthe outwardly: 53and the` nut 52` yis up- 1 outlet port I4. g y a Upon rotation oftneloperatlng strlnaftolthe'fr right,` the gear l will laeborrespo'udinglylrotated-` imparting rotation v-to thegearsgll'.- 22. and the* there is a'lbeveled gear wheel which is innxesh with and drives a corresponding beveled gear 45.

The gear has an outwardly extended tubular shaft 86 .which works in a radialbearing in `the shell I, said shell being inwardly thickened toprot vide material for said shaft as more:

accurately shown inFigs. 2 and-'14).` The inner end of the gear l5 has a worksegainet the facing side of the bei. l1 whose ends are anchoredtovtheshell I. The

bar 61 has a transversehbearing-sleeve ll secured therein and e drm elle located mimo sleeve 68 and extends axially through the beveled gear wheel 55, and itsk outerendis-gformed Vwith a suitablehbit 1U. fThe `shell openingfliv aligned with ithe Aarilinvfancl .'tnrousnj which .the drill works;` 'I'he drill has a inlined connectiony with the gear. 15. as lhowninvlig. 2. so ylts-tov rotate therewith; `and its :has/fa@"deepv 12. `wltllnmend. secured rois-- Y ls.` there is nutjit v .which the shaft 12 is'gthreadedrandlxedfn 'theiju l tive to, the sleeve n inte rmlttenjtiyj-.tofftiie'l 'starwheei Y14 and totneemait 1a-anemie roreesf v peliorated.,saidy drillV 4 with the beveled gear IIjJAy-If f JIn mesh with theiggear-whee'l' there fis a.

the "upper end of the 'I1 which rfitates in acentral verse bar 1l. is'fixe'dinthe shell` I 'and f .Beneathlia andV fixed "6.11. the'llover?critici-"thetaJ I Thetbeveied gear vaselina feeding and :driving mechanism 4may .be

cated as desired, hiaybedri`ven Vfrom the beveled 'gearwheei'agih-'meshjwithx mechanism being the" sameasfthat' in Fig. 2. r *if* .if-f ffii# L The apparatus isdriven by'. of. a

roperating string 1I which Iltubuiar- 'lower end .is conhectedxto' the; M shaft r9.. In operation the?apparatus` may bei aseA sembled, as shjowrifln F1511, intothe pipe 5- to be perforated. 45u.l

withdrawn or in inactivepositlo, theiclntchesj I 3|,V 35, will bein upper. lwith thinkin.

; 42- under compression, `and the 3l will be held in said engaged or the feet that the tnrea'dsofthejnutn' are' above kand supported by Vthe threads Il.r 'l'he rod:` l5 will also bev in its lower of the gearV 21, and throughit to the shaftsll. Sir-and."

Il, aswell as to the searing operatively connected "u fiatbelllntfmwhich i.. l0v

vertical bearing in the-ftrans-` the gear wheel 'stegendtne shrtrrlatolwnion'r t the gear 15a is flxedythe' drivinf with said last-mentionedshaft in an obvious manner. The gear 65 and the drill 69 splined thereto will accordingly be rotated and intermittent rotations will be imparted to the star wheel 14 thus gradually feeding the drill to the work, as above explained. Meanwhile the gears 58 and 38 will rotate idly, being driven from the gear 48. The shaft 45, however, is driven to the left, or in an anti-clockwise direction, causing the threads 50 to mesh with the internal threads of the nut 52 and move said nut downwardly. 'I'his movement is so timed that when the drill has cornpleted the perforation in the pipe 5, the flange 54 will have moved downwardly and engaged the flange 53, and the clutch 36 will be ready to engage with the clutch 31, and the threads of the nut 52 will be ready to disengage the threads 50 and upon further rotation of the shaft 45, said threads will completely disengage and the spring 42 will suddenly movethe clutch 36 into engagement with the clutch'31 overcoming the pressure of the spring 35 which is somewhat weaker than the spring 42, and the sleeve 5| will suddenly move downwardly, at the same time disengaging the clutch 3| from the clutch`30. The threads 50 will then be above the threads of the nut 52 and upon engagement of the clutch 36 with the clutch 31, the direction of rotation of the shaft 45 will be reversed, in turn, reversing the direction of the rotation of the shaft 60 of the drill-feeding and -driving mechanism to rthe end that the drills G9, 69a, will be withdrawn into their originall position. Upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the shaft 45, the thread 5D will again engage the threads of the nut 5'2 and will move the said nut upwardly. The upward pressure of the spring 35 will hold the nut in position'lfor such reengagement ofthe threads upon the reversal of the direction of the shaft 45, and-as the nut 52 moves upwardly, the clutch`36 will be gradually withdrawn from engagementiwith the clutch 31, placing the spring 42 under compression, and when the threads of the nut52 shall have disengaged the threads 5|), the spring 4| will suddenly elevate the clutch 3|' and cause it to engage the clutch 30, and the direction of rotation of the shaft 45 will again be reversed and the drills will` thereupon begin their outward movement.

While the apparatus is being operated to effect the perforation of the pipe 5, water will be forced under pressure down through the operating string 19 and out through the'port I4; the star wheel 24, however, will be intermittently rotated by the pin 29, gradually forcing the screw 23 upwardly.

and correspondingly elevating the rod I5 until it' closes the port I4, and slows up or stalls the pump generating the pressure, and thus indicating to the operator` that the perforating operation has been completed; thereafter, upon the shifting of the clutches, as hereinabove explained, and reversal of the operation, the screw 23 will be run back downwardly through the star wheel 24 causing the corresponding downward movement of the rod I5 until itclears the port I4, thus relieving the pressure and causing the pump to speed up indicating to the operator that the drills have been withdrawn.

It is desirable to shift the entire apparatus about its vertical. axis so that pipe may be perforated on all sides. In order to accompllshthis, an upward pull may be exerted on the operating string so as to carry the teeth 8U at the lupper end of the gear 8 into mesh withthe teeth 8| carried by the lower side of the cap 1. Upon this upward pull of the operating string, the wipers 4 will hold the shell I against upward movement, and, if it is found desirable, a releasing spear may be connected to the lower end of the tubular section 3 to assist said wiper springs,

The entire apparatus may then ybe turned as a unit so as to adjust the drills about the pipe to be perforated; and the apparatus may be adjusted up and down in an obvious manner so that the pipe may be perforated throughout any portion of its length as may be desired.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the lhaving an outlet port through which the fluid underr pressure may be directed'into the well,

and means arranged to co-act with said parts` for automatically varying the pressure at the limit of the outward and inward movement of the drills to effect an indicating reaction at the source of pressure. l

2.A p ipe perforator shaped to be lowered into a pipe in a well and comprising a shell, radially movable drills radially mounted in lthe shell, mechanism within the' shell for rotating and feeding the drills to the work, an operating string rotatable independently of the shell for driving said mechanism, said string having a limited lengthwise movement relative to the shell, and means effective, upon such movement, to clutch said string with the shell whereby the string and shell may be rotated as a unit.

3. A pipe* perforator shaped to be lowered into a pipe ina well and including radially directed drills, means for rotating and feeding the drills outwardly to efectperforation of the pipe, means for driving the rotating andfeeding means, said driving means including a tubular operating ,string having an outlet port through which fluid,

under pressure, may be directed into the well, an 

